What We Will Never Know
by IHeartNealCaffrey
Summary: Neal Caffrey did not flee to an island; instead he had chosen to return to Burbank. There he will come face to face with his past. And to make a few choices along the way, such as will he want to stay as Neal Caffrey, or will he want to become Bryce Larkin again. A Bryce Larkin is Neal Caffrey; Neal Caffrey is Bryce Larkin story. Once went by another title.
1. Chapter 1

**What We Will Never Know**

**Disclaimer:** I solemnly swear that I am up to no good; thankfully I am just only borrowing these characters from the two of my favourite shows.

******A/N:** This is the White Collar & Chuck crossover story that I had originally planned. That is indeed correct, I am working on two of them. This idea popped inside my head while watching the season three finale of White Collar, and I thought to myself, what could have been. What if Neal Caffrey/Bryce Larkin fled to Burbank instead? I have not yet Season 4; we are so far behind in Australia that it is not even funny anymore, but I am still aware of what happens in season four of White Collar. This is to be set in the middle of season 5 of Chuck. I do hope that you will stick around to find out what is going to happen.

**Summery:** Neal Caffrey did not flee to an island; instead he had chosen to return to Burbank. There he will come face to face with his past. And to make a few choices along the way, such as will he want to stay as Neal Caffrey, or will he want to become Bryce Larkin again. A Bryce Larkin is Neal Caffrey; Neal Caffrey is Bryce Larkin story.

**Chapter 1: **_**  
**_

He was taking a huge risk by entering the Buy More store in Burbank, knowing full well that the friends from his past, and most possibly an enemy or two, may not appreciate his unofficial comeback. He is preparing himself to expect any kind of reception. He is not going to be completely surprised, as he may well deserve to be on the receiving end of a few cold shoulders, or even a bullet to his heart, if the plan that he has inside head does not work out well.

Bryce had not made any plans about returning to Burbank, he never wanted to return. As, he had found something that made him alive, wanted, needed.

For the past few years he had successively managed to find a life outside the spy world, away from the past that had helped shaped him into the man he is today.

The past is the past.

Ever since he could remember, all that he had ever wanted was to find somewhere to belong, was to know what it was like to be accepted for who he was. To have someone who will stick by his side when times get tough. There were so many things that Bryce Larkin had wanted in life. His hopes and dreams of becoming just like the father he never knew, and perhaps will never truly know, had been utterly shattered when he had discovered the truth.

After learning about the lie that he had wanted to become – something inside of him had shattered along with his ancient dreams.

He never even fully believed that it was possible to trust, or to believe, anyone again.

That was until the day he had just been recruited by the CIA, he still did not fully trust them. As, they were all liars and cheats, themselves. One can never be too careful when surrounded by spies.

But he will return to those thoughts the moment he has chance to get to have a quiet moment to himself for a few hours, or so, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.

Though, truthfully, he will be secretly pleased to see the faces from his past, but he also does not feel ready to see them, again.

How does one explain to someone? How it is it possible for him to have been able to cheat death, again? To be still alive after all of this time and why it was only when he is at his most desperate, that he had chosen to show his ugly head again.

* * *

"Uh? Guys!" Chuck was not going to dare to believe his own eyes. "You better come and see this!"

"What is it Chuck?" Sarah rushed over to stand by her husband's side, where he is now hunched over a desk, observing the Buy More's security feed.

"Please tell me that he is not who I think it is?" Chuck stands up to point at the computer screen.

"My God, is that…" Sarah managed to say. "But how is it possible? He died… his ashes…"

Sarah could not bring herself to say the words that was scattering around inside her brain out loud, or even finish her sentence.

"Does he even know how to stay dead?" Casey asked as he came to see what had got his team so rattled up.

They were all staring at the classically handsome ghost from the past walking around the Buy More, casually stopping by to look at an item. He was wearing a black leather jacket, a pair of aviator sunglasses, dark expensive pair of jeans, and a black fedora.

The man in question is in fact Bryce Larkin, Chuck's former college buddy and nemesis, and Sarah's former lover. The man had left a huge impact in all of their lives in someway.

Without saying anything further, all three of them hurried out of the Castle to see Bryce Larkin for themselves, without the aid of a security feed.

* * *

He walked among the other customers, trying to make himself scarce, and to make sure that no one recognizes him as Neal Caffrey. Casually looking at the items that the store has to offer its customers.

"Do you not know how to stay dead?"

Bryce turned his head around to find Casey glaring at him.

"Apparently not," Bryce replied in a casual way. "But even if I was dead, I still need some supplies to make myself at home."

After living as Neal Caffrey, internationally renowned art thief, con artist extraordinaire, prison escapee – it is a long list of what he is allegedly known, it is hard not to use the skills that makes him so fabulously good at what he does best.

"What do you -" Casey never got to finish his question.

As he had just seen Bryce Larkin duck down behind a shelf, with a finger pressed against his mouth (as though making a shushing motion) which of whom happens to be exactly what Larkin was doing.

Casey turned his head towards the store's entrance to find a man with grey hair walking in, dressed in the kind of suits that only the FBI will wear, with a look of determination printed across his aging face.

"So, it is true! You're alive?" Chuck had chosen to come over to stand beside Casey, as he looked down in shock.

"Chuck, I promise that I will explain everything if you will keep quiet," Bryce hastily says to his former best friend. "It will do no one good if Kramer finds me here."

"What does this Kramer want with you?" asked Casey.

"Well if he sees me, he will most likely want to send me back to prison," Bryce sarcastically answered. "But that is a conversation for another time."

"Prison?" Chuck incredulously asked his old nemesis who is still trying to hide behind one of the store's shelves.

"Long story," was all that Bryce could bring himself to say, he turned his face away from Chuck's, and glad that his eyes were hiding behind the sunglasses he had chosen to wear before entering the Buy More.

Every bit of him yearns to return to New York, his home, and to solve interesting White Collar crimes alongside Peter – just to think about New York and Peter is making him down right miserable.

"Now if you will excuse me, I need to get out of here unseen," Bryce did not want to bother finding out what other questions Chuck and Casey have install for him, as he wants to get out of here before Kramer finds him.

Mozzie was correct. Coming here was stupid. He should have gone to an island instead, but no! He wanted to come to Burbank, or at least someplace, where he could find the answers that he is searching for.

Like such as: Kramer.

He had a feeling that there was more to the eye; something that Kramer is willing to hide from Peter. The elderly man is, or well, was Peter's friend and mentor. What kind of person does that –

"You are not going anywhere, Larkin," Casey had all but growled in his ear, causing Bryce to look back at the gruff agent.

"Well I am not going to stay crouching behind a silly shelf, all day. Now, if you don't mind it was clearly a mistake to come here -" whatever it was that Bryce was going to say was lost.

He fell into an unexpected unconsciousness.

The last thing he could catch before the lights went out was hearing Chuck saying Casey's name.

"Was it really necessary to knock him out?" Chuck frantically asked Casey as he caught an unconscious Bryce Larkin in his arms. "I know that it is extremely difficult for us to get over the shock after seeing Bryce back from the dead, again. But you must also learn how to control yourself."

"It felt right when I have been wanting to that the first time he returned from the dead," Casey quipped in dryly. "Now let us get him out of here."

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

**P.S:** Are there any good Chuck stories out there that don't have Bryce behaving like a jerk, or a bad guy, I don't get how, or why people hate him so, or at least isn't a slash fic? Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I would love to say thank you to all that have taken the time to check my story out, I truly appreciate the effort and the time you took in doing so. I will let you all know that is a White Collar fan, who may know what already happens in season 4 and what we learn about our Neal Caffrey, the man of mystery, is that the name that Neal grew under witness protection, is not the name that I am going to use. I am sure when you read some of this chapter that you will get the general idea of what that name maybe. As much as I would love to chit-chat about the changes that I am creating for the purpose of the story, but I must allow you all to enjoy chapter 2. It also went by the title of 'Looking For Somewhere To Belong' but I had changed it due to a song that I admire, it seemed to fit with what I am trying to make with this story. The song 'What We Will Never Know' is written, and sung by - Innerpartysystem, you can find it on YouTube or Itunes. Please have a wonderful day.

**Chapter 2:**

"Did you know that he was still alive?" Sarah asked Beckman right after the other woman's face flashed on to the screen.

"I had my suspicions that Bryce Larkin was alive after getting a few reports that some agents stationed New Work had stated to have seen him," Beckman began to say to them in a stern tone.

"That is because I did live there for a time before I had to flee," Larkin's voice smoothly floated its way in to the room, forcing all of its occupants to turn around to look at him.

"How did you get out of your cell?" Casey asked Larkin.

"I walked out through the door," Bryce replied wryly. "You honestly need to make those cells of yours more child proof. Any one with a half a brain, or even with an ear-splitting headache, could find a way out without being seen."

With a charming smirk toying with his lips, a mischievous gleam twinkling in his eyes, Bryce stepped further inside the room.

Bryce no longer wore his sunglasses, or his black fedora, with his startling blue eyes clearly visible for them all to see. His dark brown hair had been perfectly combed back from his face. And there was a scruff beginning to show, making him to appear rugged and older.

"Agent Larkin? How is it that you are still alive?" Beckman asked him sternly. "When I have no records of you being alive?"

With that almost everyone's heads turned to see Larkin, again.

Chuck had noticed almost immediately that there was something different about Bryce and he was having a hard time discovering what that something is. Guessing that he is about to learn just how different his former friend in a few minutes time, so he will wait for a private moment to discover what that something is.

"How is it that I am still alive? And the why, is still a bit fuzzy to me. All that I do know is that I had found myself in a prison cell, I have tried to find the answers to that mystery for sometime – but I never got the chance to get to bottom of that particular mystery," Bryce began to explain to them, knowing that they all deserve to hear him explain about why he is still alive and the why he had waited three years to return. "After I found myself back inside that prison cell, I had to make a choice about whether to break free to find the truth, or do I serve the rest of my sentence -"

"But, you did not stay in prison?" Chuck asked.

Bryce turned his head to the side, to look into Chuck's eyes, momentarily before returning his full attention back on to General Beckman.

"No, I did not," Bryce, said in a reply.

"Do you at least know who put you there?" Beckman sternly asked.

"All that I had discovered is that Clyde Decker was behind it all -"

"Decker?" Casey had all but growled out when Bryce mentioned of Decker's name.

"Yes, Decker," Bryce silently observed his one-time enemy. "He apparently needed to find a way to get me out of picture. To get me as a far away from Chuck as possible."

"Well, you were one of Team Bartowski's finest allies," Beckman informed them.

Making them to remember all the times that they had worked alongside Bryce, no matter what they thought about him, he had always come through for them.

"Except for the part when he got Chuck kicked out of Stanford, stole his former girlfriend -" Morgan was at least the only one that was voicing his disdain for Bryce Larkin out loud.

"Morgan!" Chuck had all but forgiven Bryce for all that he done, when they were in the white room, where Bryce had supposedly died in – but he just doesn't know how to truly feel about having Bryce Larkin back in his life.

"What? But it is the truth!" Morgan exclaimed heatedly shooting his best death glare towards Bryce.

"Bryce didn't steal Jill, that was all a lie, Morgan," Chuck exclaimed just as heatedly.

"As, interesting your story with Bryce maybe, Mr. Bartowski," Beckman impatiently spoke, wanting to get to the bottom of things quickly and in a professional way. "Agent Larkin? Could you please give us some more information about what -?"

"And if I choose not to? Forgive me, General," Bryce says to the woman on the screen. "But I – just don't like feel delving into what had happened, what is still happening, to me for the last three years now. If you really must know! You can just easily look up any kind of information about me on the web, or even better - the FBI's most wanted database, there I am certain that you will find oodles of information about me."

Bryce felt weary, uncertain, and not too sure about wanting to explain himself fully. He had never been comfortable telling anyone, not even with Mozzie, or with Peter – hell! There were even a few things about himself that he kept secret from Kate. Never wanting to have anyone to get too close, to do his best to keep people at arm's length.

It had not been until he met Chuck, did he begin to show parts of himself, which he had worked so hard not to show anyone.

"And what name would you suggest we use?" Beckman queried.

"That'll be Caffrey, Neal Caffrey," Bryce replied, a mysterious smile was beginning to light up in his eyes.

"The same Neal Caffrey that is most commonly known as the renaissance criminal?" Sarah chose at the moment to finally say something to her former lover.

"International renowned alleged art thief, bond forger, con artist extraordinaire – the list is a long one," Bryce replied in a dry tone.

"That is not an alias of yours that I am aware of," Sarah said in disbelief.

"That is because Neal Caffrey is actually my real name," Bryce absently says without thinking, which was a first for him. Perhaps it was the result of the stress that he had been under before his upcoming commutation hearing where he could have finally been a free man and off his anklet, and what with the treasure of a lifetime, having to choose a side, and then having to make a choice right before Keller took Elizabeth.

It was all very stressful.

"Please explain?" Beckman asked Bryce in angry tone.

The castle became really tense and stuffy, what with everyone shooting looks of pure disbelief, or hatred (coming from Morgan), towards the supposedly dead spy.

"Neal Bennett, is technically my true name, but I had changed my last name to my mother's maiden name," came Bryce's hesitant reply. "Look. What I am about to say to you, was never what I had meant to say. I haven't even told Peter, or even Mozzie, about any of this. They don't even know a thing about Bryce Larkin – no, that isn't entirely true. Mozzie knows a little, just not all the top-secret details -"

"Let me get this straight! After all this whole time you had us believe that your name was Bryce Larkin," Chuck does not know what to believe anymore, well for today at least, now.

"I will give you a short abbreviation of what is a long story, one that even I am still trying to unravel," Bryce only ever really would have liked for Peter Burke, possibly even Elizabeth and Mozzie, to know about all this but it was too late now. "Bryce Larkin is the name that I grew up under, believing it to have been what my real name is. That right until my eighteenth birthday came around, did I learn the truth – and that is all that I will say to you."

"How are we to know that is the truth?" Chuck angrily asked his former friend, not liking that the man he once knew just opened up a whole brand new can of worms, causing him to ever wonder if he ever truly knew Bryce Larkin at all.

He is also thinking about how Sarah is taking all of this as well, not just himself.

"Whether you believe it or not. Matters very little to me, Chuck," Bryce answered in a calm voice. "Besides what does it all matter, about what my real name is? When Sarah's real name is not Sarah and the same could apply to Casey as well, we all have had to change our real identities at one stage. The reasons for mine are a subject that I have no wish to discuss now."

"So, let me get this straight!" Beckman began to speak once more, her voice echoing throughout the room. "The whole time when we got a notifications of a wanted poster that had a picture of you on it -"

"Yes, it is all true. All the while I have been on a mission, there really was someone outside of the CIA that was earnestly looking for me and the end they did find me," Bryce dryly says to them. "There was only one person who knew the truth about all of this and that person just also happens to be no longer apart of the living, so he'll be unable to make it to your admirable interrogation. Which is a good thing, seeing as he was behind creating Fulcrum, the Ring – all of it. He was, and possibly still is the man pulling all our strings for his puppet show."

"And who is this man who you speak of?" Sarah asked Bryce.

"The man who was originally going to become the very first human intersect," says Bryce, answering Sarah's question in the most honest way that he could manage, honesty has never been one of his strong suits.

There was only one person that had managed to make Bryce to become honest as he could and that person resides in New York, the one person that Bryce is going to fight with his every being to return to.

He is not going to abandon all that he and Peter Burke had worked for, all because Fate has this funny way of wanting to make Bryce's life as miserable as it could get.

Bryce did not originally intended to return to Burbank for his former friends – well frenemies, if one would be so kind as to describe it – to find out about him still being alive and well. He had come here to discover the truth behind everything that has happened behind the scenes.

But does he not still consider Chuck as one of his friends. And he did care for Sarah at one stage too, but she now felt like to have been a friend with benefits, that sort of thing.

As, his heart had already been won over by Kate Moreau.

He had not been aware that he had zoomed out until he had felt someone poke him in the arm, calling his name out again and again, to the point of sheer annoyance.

"Bryce? Hello?" Chuck's voice brazenly climbed its way through Bryce's mind. "Hello. Wakey, wakey. Earth to Bryce -"

"Will you excuse me for a moment," Bryce apologetically says to them the moment his attention had zoomed right back into the present.

Without bothering to hear what they would like to say to him, Bryce left them standing there with their mouths (mainly Chuck) hanging wide open in suspense and wonderment.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Chuck could not believe what he had just heard, what he had seen, just now. Everything had gone dead silent the moment Bryce walked out of them, acting very much unlike the Bryce Larkin that they all knew and remembered. It was obvious to him now that something had to have happened to his former friend, and something must have left a scar that no one could help heal.

"General Beckman, you had mentioned earlier that you had received reports about Bryce being alive and well in New York," Sarah began to say to kill the silence. "Did you send anyone to confirm it, or at least do something about it?"

"I did send several agents to gather as much information as they could but regretfully all I had got in return was body bags," Beckman replied with a sigh.

"Then why did you not get us involved?" Chuck asked her.

"Because of whoever was responsible wanted to keep Larkin out of our reach, was willingly wanting to kill all who got too close," Beckman, replied regretfully. "I had lost several of my best agents to get to the bottom of it. I was not willingly, though I know you do get the best results – in a rather unorthodox fashion, to risk your lives."

"You do not seriously believe that whoever had thrown Larkin into prison, was the ones behind the killings?" Casey grudgingly asked Beckman. "And among other things."

"It would seemed to be the most probable," Beckman answered. "There are a lot of questions that needs to be answered, answers that Larkin will be able to give us."

"Well did Bryce not mention to us that Decker is somehow involved in someway?" Chuck asked no one in particular. "And that whoever was going to become the first human intersect – before Bryce blew that plan up, is somehow connected to Fulcrum, the Ring and possibly Volkoff -"

"Well, it would seem that you have discovered your next mission," Beckman hurriedly says to one of her favourite teams, even though they do not technically work for her anymore. "We need to get to bottom of this quickly and in an orderly fashion. Keep me in the loop."

And with that Beckman face blacked out, leaving without hearing the questions that were burning everyone's mind mad.

"How are we going to do this?" Chuck turned his head to face Sarah, whose face has grown stoic and unreadable.

Could it be possible that Sarah may still be holding a candle for Bryce Larkin? Or is she just as confused as he is? After all, the man he once knew to be his best friend, did just make a climatic comeback into their lives.

"Why should we even bother?" Morgan exclaimed out loud. "Just what if! You heard the douche's story, just what if he was making it all up -"

"But what if he isn't making it up," Chuck hastily cuts Morgan's rant up in half. "Sarah," he focuses his attention back upon his beautiful wife. "What do you know about Neal Caffrey?"

"Only from what I could get out of father, is what Bryce told us about Neal Caffrey – and truthfully, it all makes sense now," Sarah calmly replied.

"What makes sense?" Casey asked Sarah.

"Before Bryce and I, became partners, I had heard rumours that he would occasionally go off grid – hence Beckman mentioning the wanted posters," Sarah answered in truthful way. "Which had turned out to be true, the rumours I mean, because when we weren't on a mission he would go off somewhere doing who knows what. And there were also days when I did not hear, or see, from him until we were to be sent back on to another mission."

Sarah had never truly got the chance to resolve her feelings for Bryce when he was alive, or even when he had supposedly died – all that she is aware of, is that whatever she had once felt for Bryce could never compare with the ones she feels for Chuck.

Bryce had given her an opportunity to forget about her past, to forget all that she had done and what she was becoming. But with Chuck, Sarah is now being forced to face her past head on to move on.

No other man is going to love her, like Chuck does and it is all vice versa.

Sarah may have been drawn towards the mystique that was Bryce Larkin, but no longer. Even though her emotions now are in the middle of fighting a conflicted battle. A battle that she does not want to be apart of, but she will have to resolve these feelings one way, or another.

Then suddenly she remembered that Bryce Larkin has exited the conference room, in a way that the old Bryce Larkin would never have done.

"Where is Bryce?" Sarah asked the men within the same room as she.

"Who cares?" Morgan yelled out in huff.

"We are going to have to learn to care, if it means finding out about this man behind the curtain," Casey was itching to hit Morgan across the head. "I don't like the idea of him being here either but he also knows an awful amount about our enemies."

"And to get that information, we should try to find out where Bryce went," Chuck has many things that he would like to ask Bryce. "And to start that – I believe we should also get as much information we can about Neal Caffrey. Find out why he is really here."

"Where are you going, Chuck?" Morgan asked his best friend, who was about to leave the room.

"To find Bryce."

That was all that Chuck said to them before he goes off in search for his former best friend, feeling like it should be his responsibility to find Bryce, to be a friend.

* * *

Peter could not help it; he could if he were to put his mind to it. He wished that he could get the thoughts of Neal Caffrey erased but he couldn't.

His dreams of late are turning into nightmares, ones that scared the living daylights out of him, and they were scaring Elizabeth as well.

They both were missing Neal something shocking.

It had been hard on them both when Neal had fled the city – but Peter does not regret signalling for his friend to run, the only thing that he does regret is that he may no longer be able to help Neal now.

The not knowing of what Neal is doing and the fear of what may happen is what is killing Peter.

The young man would laugh if he were to learn about the entire White Collar unit missing his intellect, or was it just the way that Neal could make them all laugh their bad moods away.

A convicted felon, Neal may have been, but he had also become an integrable member of the team. With his insight and sharp intellect, they were all able to solve cases that may never have been able to get closed without Neal's comments.

There had been times when Peter had often wondered about what could have been if Neal had not made his choices in life. The choices that had caused Peter to throw the young man into prison, if Neal had not made those choices – then things would have ended differently for them both.

Peter sighs as he enters his humble home, to not only find his wife sipping tea at their dinning table.

"Suit," the balding man acknowledges him with a slight nod with his head. "You are most likely wondering why I am here. I, too, am surprised to find myself here."

"Always the cryptic," Peter walked over to stand behind El's chair. "Hi, hon."

"Hey," Elizabeth's face lit up with a bright smile upon her beautiful face, her eyes (that had been overshadowed with sadness and concern for a certain con man) were twinkling with delight. "How was your day?"

That phrase was becoming more and more common with in their household, which was a way to remind them that they still have each other and that one-day they will find Neal again.

"Not good," Peter replied. "I can't do much of anything with the DOJ breathing down our necks. Hughes is doing all that he could to keep the hounds at bay but he can't do much of anything, or he could lose his job, and so can I."

"They surely wouldn't fire you. When you had no choice but to give Neal the signal to run," Elizabeth softly says to her husband. "If anyone needs to get lose their jobs over this -"

"Kramer, I know," Peter bent down to kiss El's cheek.

Before remembering that they have a visitor, one of who would most likely know where Neal is.

"What are you doing here?" Peter immediately asked the little guy. "And where is Neal?"

"I know not where Neal is, he has gone completely off the grid. The last thing that I do know is that he left without me and he never even told me where he was going," Mozzie began to say. "And as to why I am here? Well that is an excellent question, Suit. But, sadly I do not have the answer you seek."

"Do you at least know what Neal is up to?" Peter is eager to learn all that he can about his young friend's whereabouts.

"All that I do know is that he is looking for some answers," Mozzie answered in a cryptic tone. "He was behaving more elusive than usual. And that is all that I am going to tell you, Suit."

"You did not come here because you missed our company, did you?" Elizabeth smiled warmly towards Mozzie.

"What can I say? You know how to make mean cup of tea, Mrs Suit," Mozzie wryly says with a quirky smile.

"If you are here then you must be really worried about Neal's whereabouts," Peter quipped in as a matter of a fact.

"Good partners are difficult to find," Mozzie said.

"That they are," Peter has had partnered with many agents, some who were good agents and all, but not one of them were able to put up with him – unlike Neal.

"We must find him," Peter said to both Elizabeth and Mozzie.

Elizabeth was about to say something to kill off the silence when the doorbell rang.

"Now who could that be?" Peter asked.

"Most unlikely the one you want it to be," Mozzie answered slyly.

Peter just offered Mozzie a glare before he went over to see who was at his doorstep.

Only to receive to find two surprises, and no, they were not the person he wants to see, and they were smiling at him. Though there was something hidden behind their smiles that troubled Peter.

"Jones, Diana, what brings you here?" Peter asked his agents immediately.

"Has Hughes not told you the news?" Jones replied with a question of his own, as he and Diana entered the Burke's home. "And I see that you have company?"

"He was here when I got here," Peter answered, his insides were clenching venomously, as though not wanting to know the reasons about why his two of his best agents have come. "And what was it that Hughes was meant to have said to me?"

"That by tomorrow we are to hand our badges over," Diana replied in a grim tone.

* * *

"Hey Bryce," Chuck called out to his former best friend's back.

"Chuck," came Bryce acknowledging Chuck's presence.

Chuck had found Bryce walking around the maze of hallways, which lay hidden in the Castle and under the Buy More store above.

"I don't get it Bryce," Chuck was struggling to come up with a good conversation starter. "Why did you decide to come back here? When there are a plenty of other places for you to go?"

"I have asked myself that very same question," Bryce answered cryptically. "Part of the reasons, I guess, is to find some answers. To discover more behind Kramer's elaborate plan, to know if it wasn't all tied up with my spying days, or tied to something completely different. I could have gone to an island, like my friend Moz, had advised me to do."

"Who is this Mozzie that you speak of?" Chuck went over to stand closer by Bryce's side.

"A good friend mine, he basically taught me everything I need to know how to survive in the world of crime," Bryce's eyes lit up with a mischievous smirk. "He would most likely have something smart to say about I being a spy for the Government, the Government that he distrusts – no need to mention that to Casey."

"You told me once that I was your only friend outside of your spy life and that was one of the reasons why you had sent me the intersect in the first place," Chuck blankly stared at the wall opposite of he and Bryce. "And yet, it would seem you do have friends outside of the spy life."

"I trust Mozzie with my life but I wouldn't trust him with the Intersect, true he knows how to hide well," Bryce answered. "And besides if I had not sent you the Intersect, you would never have met Sarah, or even Casey for that. Could you imagine your life now without having either one of them in your life?"

"Strange that I can not," Chuck smiled as he thought about Sarah and Casey. "And it was all thanks to you."

"No, need to thank me," Bryce smirked at the look upon Chuck's face. "It is good to see you again Chuck, truly I mean it."

"There may have been a time when I never wanted to you again, especially right after you had me kicked out of Stanford – but, yes I do agree, that is good to see you again," Chuck had after all long since forgave Bryce for everything a few years back. "So? What now? What are you going to do, or go?"

"I have not decided yet, part of me wants to return to New York, all the while there is another part longing to return to the spy life," Bryce had answered as truthfully as he could.

"Why don't you return to the spy life?" Chuck turn around to begin walking back towards where Sarah is.

Surprisingly Bryce followed, only to walk by his side.

"It's complicated Chuck. I had a life that I was actually beginning to feel proud of back in New York," Bryce replied somberly.

"A life that you were forced to live in," Chuck vehemently told Bryce.

"And yet it was a life that I had unexpectedly discovered something that I have searched for a very long time Chuck," Bryce willfully admitted to Chuck.

"You'll make the right choice, you always do," Chuck encouragingly says to his friend.

"We had better return to others before they send a search party," Bryce said, feeling awkward just now for some strange reason.

Chuck just nods his head.

"Oh, and Chuck," Bryce's voice called for Chuck to pause in his steps and to turn around to face him.

"Yes, Bryce?" Chuck asked wearily.

"Do not concern yourself, I will not come between you and Sarah," Bryce knew that he should be saying this at one point, it just felt like the right time to say it. "I give you my word."

"I appreciate that," Chuck gratefully says.

The two college buddies smiled at each other for a moment before they went off to rejoin the others.

* * *

**_To be continued….._**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay. Hope you will enjoyed chapter 4. Next chapter we will return to Chuck and others, this is just merely a filler chapter, one that will have delve into what is happening with Peter and the rest. I would like to thank each and every one of you for kindness. I really appreciated the reviews and the alerts that I have got.

**Chapter 4:**

Thousands upon thousands of troubling thoughts had trespassed his mind during the most of last night.

Peter just could not bring himself to dare to believe that he must simply hand over his gun and badge, he does not know why and he will be discovering the reasons why he is being asked to do this. But what truly troubles him the most about this whole deal, is that Jones and Diana must also hand over theirs as well.

He will not be completely surprised if any of this has anything to do with Neal running during his commutation hearing, on the same day that Neal could have won his freedom.

Neal did not want to run, Peter knows this much but he had no choice – well he did have plenty of choices to make on that particular day. Kramer had thrown his beliefs out of the window, he could not bear the thought of creating unwanted memories that would have featured Neal being taken away from in handcuffs.

True, Neal can be a pain in the ass but that was mainly because of doing the wrong things for the right reasons.

Caffrey has a good heart and Peter is determined to find his young friend, but it would seem that the resources that could have aided him in his quest would not be able to be used.

Someone must be really unhappy for wanting to do this.

It could all be just some stupid ploy that Kramer had invented out of his lust for revenge.

"What is this really about, Reese? Why must I, and my team, hand over our badges? Tell me why?" Peter asked his boss the moment he had stepped inside Hughes' office.

"I honestly do not know and I have contacted almost everyone single one of my contacts to get any indication behind all of this," Reese answered Peter in a patient tone. "All that I had discovered so far is that Agent Kramer had a hand behind the DOJ's sudden decision to take not only your badge, but your team as well. He believes that it was you that should carry the blame behind Caffrey's act of fleeing. He is well aware that Agent Jones and Berrigan, are extremely loyal to you, as are most of the entirety of the White Collar division."

Hughes paused momentarily so he could allow his best agent to think about all that he had just said. "I have done all that I can within the short notice."

"Clearly not enough," Peter is aware that he is being out of line here, but the future of his agents, and his own, is now hanging on a meagre thread. "I'm sorry that was out of line."

"I understand," Hughes calmly says. "But I do have to ask you about -"

"Neal gave me no clue about whether he was going to run or not. What I do know is that he had not made any plans about running," Peter explained to his boss. "Whether he had the anklet taken off or not, Neal was planning on continuing on working for us."

"He was a great asset that much I will agree upon," Hughes mentioned wryly.

Reese sighes, as he knows what he had to do before it gets any harder. "Peter, your badge please."

"I know," Peter glanced down towards his hands to find his badge and weapon.

"I am sorry. I will be doing all that I can to help you get your badge back, Peter, but for now," Hughes said in earnest. "Allow Kramer to have this small victory of his, unless you want him to make it worse for you and your team."

"I thought Kramer was a friend," Peter wearily said. "But it will appear that I was wrong."

"He did say that this is to protect you," Reese tried to say with as much counsel as he could.

Peter could not bring himself to say anything more to Hughes, when he for once does not know what to say.

The only thing that he could think about is to continue his search for Neal, and he will do it with, or without, his badge and resources.

He placed his gun and badge upon Hughes' desk, "I will be back for these."

Reese observed the newly placed items decorating his desk before he glance back up at Peter, he is aware of the decision that he is about to bring to light could do some damage to his career.

"Keep your badge Peter," Reese cautiously began to say.

"What?" Peter started.

"You heard me," Hughes sternly said.

"You do realise what may happen if anyone beyond this office were to learn of this, you could lose your job," Peter exclaimed, not wanting to believe what Hughes is trying to suggest and do. "It is already bad enough that, Jones and Diana, along with my badge are to be handed over to you because Kramer can't let a grudge go."

"I am well aware of the risks involved with such a plan. I may have asked you to keep your badge, but I will also ask that you to take the time off," Hughes informs Peter. "Use up some of your vacation days. And use the time well."

"And let me guess, you would like for me to forget about Neal Caffrey," it was not question, but Peter had to say it.

"I am well aware that it will take you some time to get yourself back into gear. You had managed to close your case quite well before Caffrey came along," Hughes has noticed how quiet the office had become, almost as though a void had come to interfere with the White Collar Division and it could all be due to Neal Caffrey.

The young conman had brought a surprisingly, and very welcoming, energy to the office that not one the agent's could have known to have misd beforehand.

Almost everyone within the White Collar Division, as well as the other divisions within the New York office, had become enamoured by Neal Caffrey's charming persona. Though not everyone liked the idea, at first, about allowing a convicted felon to roam freely among them. But eventually a few devious smiles had caused even the most cold-hearted agents to lighten up.

"Well, if you are sure?" Peter placed his hands inside his pockets, a trait that Neal had often been caught doing.

"I am quite certain that this will turn out to be the best for not only you, but for your team as well, and when you come back. Resume your relentless search for Neal Caffrey if you must -"

"What makes you think that I won't be searching for him during my vacation days? You know full well that I know Caffrey better then anyone," Peter said.

"That I do know. But do be careful," Hughes calmly says to Peter. "Do not go throwing your career away."

Peter could only just nod his head.

"You may go now. Tell Jones and Berrigan the good news," Hughes stands up from his chair.

He walked around his desk to open his office door, he watched as Peter took his leave.

* * *

**_To Be Continued…_**


End file.
